Engineer nears retirement with no promotion in 30 years

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Sindh chief secretary and other officials after a government servant filed a petition for not getting promotion for over 30 years, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

It is Ashraf Ali Jumani who moved the court to seek justice. He was appointed as a mechanical engineer in 1989 but has been working in the same Grade-17 since then.

As the Supreme Court heard the matter at its Karachi Registry, the petitioner’s counsel said a summary for the promotion of his client was sent to the chief minister who did not approve that.

Seeking court intervention, he argued that Jumani urgently required necessary orders as he was going to retire next year [2021].

Certainly, it is a serious matter because people work in any organisation with the hope that they will get a promotion and the resultant financial benefits. Otherwise, it makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for them to discharge their duties diligently in the absence of any reward.

Jumani’s case is even more complicated as he won’t get the retirement benefits which he deserves if there is no promotion.

Earlier this month, the Sindh High Court had warned senior government functionaries of contempt proceedings, ordering them to implement the earlier directions about promoting over 10,000 professors and lecturers who are awaiting promotion for the last 30 years.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar had remarked, “A simple thing is not being understood that promotions must have to be given,” and added that why a person would perform if he knew that he was not going to get a promotion.

The court also mentioned that the people were given neither promotion nor time scale (promotion) even after working for 30 years.

“Don’t you think the working in departments is affected due to such issues?” the court asked and remarked that the Sindh government’s departments’ seemingly were not interested in performing.